Adjustable machine-base



(No Model.) l 3 sheets sheet l.

v J. J. WOOD.

I ADJUSTABLE'MAGHINE BASE. No; 526,066. Patented Sept. 18, 1894..

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mam/m r66 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2-. J. J. WOOD. ADJUSTABLE MACHINEBASE.

No.- 526,066. Patented Sept. 18, 1894.

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WITNESSES:

WBmm ro n: nonms Pnzns co, PNOTO-LITH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

JAMES J. WOOD, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

ADJUSTABLE MACHIN E-BAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 526,066, datedSeptember 18, 1894. Application filed March 17, 1894- Serial No. 03,968.(No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES J. WOOD, a citizen of the United States,residing in Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Machine-Bases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of machine bases for machinesdriven by belts, designed to facilitate the adjustment of the machine,to regulate the tension of the belt, and to determine the proper runningof the belt on the pulley.

My invention improves and cheapens the construction of adjustablemachine bases, and imparts to them new capabilities.

My invention is especially designed and adapted for the support of largeand heavy dynamo electric machines.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a plan of the machine base withits rotary shaft, embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe base. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine and base shown inFig. 1. Fig.4tis an elevation of the opposite end on a larger scale andpartly in vertical section. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the ratchetoperating device in section on the lines 55 in Fig. 4, and on a largerscale. Fig. 6 is a mid-section of one of the rockers cut on the line 6-6in Fig.6. Fig. [7 is a diagrammatic plan illustrating the adj ustabilityof the machine base. Fig; 8 is a plan of one of the sub-bases on thesame scale as Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is an end elevation thereof; and Fig. 10 isa transverse section cut on the line 1010 in Fig. 4. Fig. 11 is a sideelevation partly in section of a modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, I will proceed to describe the identicalconstruction shown which constitutes one example or embodiment of myinvention.

Let A (Fig. 3) designate a foundation of masonry of suitable depth orsolidity, and

B B two heavy beams laid lengthwise across the top thereof, and bolteddown to the masonry. Laid across these beams at suitable intervals arefourtransverse iron girders or sub -bases lettered respectively 0 O, O0. These are all planed flat and smooth on their upper surfaces, whichare leveled to coincide in the same horizontal plane. Laid on thesesub-bases is the main base D of the machine, which on its under surfaceis formed with seats or rests where it lies over the subbases, theseseats being planed ofi to a true horizontal plane, so that the weight ofthe base is distributed with approximate equality over the foursub-bases.

The base D is shown in the form of a large plate, made hollow as shownin Fig. 4, and having suitable holes or openings through it as therequirements of the particular machine may determine. The particularbaseD shown is that for an alternating current dynamo of 'my invention,being the one illustrated in my Patent No. 512,42 dated January 9,1894;. Of this dynamo I have shown only the base, the three pedestals EE E mounted thereon, and the armature shaft F carried in bearings onthese pedestals, and the belt pulley G; on this shaft. The other partsof the dynamo may be found if desired in my said patent. The main base Dof the machine being placed upon the transverse sub-bases O C, may befreely slid around on these sub-bases to different positions.

Fig. 7 shows diagrammatically one position of the base in full lines andanother position thereof in dotted lines, the base having been slid orswung on the supporting sub-bases so that it is somewhat skewed. Thiscapability of sliding the base to various positions on the sub-bases isdue to the absence of slideways or guides of any sort such as areordinarily provided in machinery for insuring a parallel motion. Thecapacity for universal n10- tion thus acquired is practically of greatadvantage, as 1 will proceed to explain. A

Itfrequently happens in a machine driven by a belt, that the belt willstretch unevenly and will consequently tend to run off one end of thepulley. The usual remedy for this is to apply a layer of leather orother fabric .to the face of the pulley near one end thereof so as toenlarge the diameter of this end of the pulley sufficiently to correctthis tendency. This method, however, is troublesome and unworkrnanlike,and involves stopping the machine for a considerable time, which in thecase of dynamo electric machines is often attended with seriousdisadvantage.

By myinvention this difficulty is remedied by swinging either end of themain base D.

sidewise so as to throw the shaft axis into a position sufficientlyoblique to the longitudinal direction of the belt to counteract the abnormal tendency of the belt to run to one side. This movement can beeffected without stopping the machine or interfering in the least withits running. My invention also provides improved means for adjusting thebase in parallel direction so as merely to tighten or loosen the belt.The particular means which I have devised for accomplishing theseadjustments I will now describe. At or near each end of the main baseD,it is engaged by an adjusting screw H extending longitudinally of oneof the sub-bases O, and held in a journal bearing, so as to berestrained from longitudinal movement, as best shown in Fig. 4, whereais the journal of the screw held in a bearing 1) formed in the end ofthe cast metal sub-base C, and confined in place by a removable bearingcap 0, this being best shown in Fig. 9. The hearing Z) enters between acollar cl formed on the screw on one side of the journal and the hub eof a ratchet wheel fixed on the screw on the opposite side. The threadsof the screw engage female threads in a block or nut J, which is formedwith a screwthreaded neck or stem 7' extending upwardly from it andpassing freely through a hole in an ear f formed 011 the main base D, anut 9 being screwed on the threaded stem to lock the nut to the base. Bysimultaneously revolving the two screws 11 H in either direction, thetwo nuts J J are propelled simultaneously and at equal speed, andconsequently the entire base D is slid over the sub-bases laterally toitself, so as to either stretch or slacken the driving belt. Forconveniently effecting this simultaneous movement of the two screws,they are connected together in the following described manner.

To each screw is attached a ratchet-wheel K, preferably by driving atransverse pin or key through the hub e of this ratchet wheel and thescrew, as shown in Fig. 5. The outer end of the neck or journal of thescrew projects beyond this ratchet wheel, and on it is freely or looselymounted a rocker L consisting of a suitable casting shown detached inFig. 6. Each of these rockers hasa socket it, into either of which maybe thrust the end of an operating lever M. A pawl or dog P is freelypivoted on a pin or stud 19 so that its end may drop into engagementwith a tooth of the ratchet K. The ratchet and pawl are double acting,so that when the pawl stands at the left as shown in Fig. 5 it acts inone direction, but by throwing it over the top until it drops at theother side, it will equally engage the ratchet teeth to turn the screwinthe opposite direction. Each rocker L has a downwardly projecting arm Z,and these two arms are connected together bya connecting bar Q, which isadjustable in length by means of screw-threaded ends screwing intosocket pieces '5 e', and locked therein by lock nuts.

these nuts should be again tightened.

To tighten or loosen the belt the operating lever M is dropped into thesocket h in either of the rockers L, and the two pawls P P being firstboth thrown to the side to which it is desired to turn the screws, theoperating lever is then pumped or rocked from side to side, the motionbeing communicated from one rocker L through the rod Q to the other, sothat both pawls work simultaneously against the ratchets to turn thescrews intermittently and to like extent in the same direction. The baseD is thus moved bodily with a parallel motion. The base is guided inthis movement solely by the nuts or blocks J J, which slide loosely inopen slots or guideways N, best shown in Fig. 8, formed in therespective sub-bases C C. The opposite sides of the nut J being fiat,enter between the opposite faces of this guideway in the manner shown inFig. 10. There is thus no necessity for planing or finishing any guidingsurfaces except the opposite side walls of the guideways N N in the twosub-bases C O, and the two opposite sides of the nuts or blocks J J.

In case it is desired to swing the machine to an oblique position inorder to counteract the running oif of the belt, it is only necessary tothrow one of the pawls P entirely out of action and turn the other screwalone in the proper direction by means of the other pawl, whereupon thebase D will swing around the nut J of the screw which is not driven, andwhich nut consequently remains a fixed point serving as a pivot; or onepawl may be thrown to one side and the other pawl to the opposite side,so that the two screws may be driven intermittently in oppositedirections, thereby drawing one end of the base forward and pushing theother end back, in the manner shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 7. Incase any but a very slight obliquity is to be thus imparted to the base,it is necessary first to loosen the nuts 9 g which clamp the nuts J J tothe base, and after the proper adjustment has been made, This adjustmentlike the other can be made without stopping the machine, and indeed isbest made while the machine is running, in order that the behavior ofthe belt may be noted as the adjustment is made.

The end sub-bases O C are the only ones provided with the adjustingdevices, the intermediate bases 0 0 being designed solely as additionalsupports for the weight of the main base. The number of such supportswill vary according to the size and weight of the machine. For smallmachines the intermediate sub-bases C may be wholly omitted,

the entire weight in such case being borne by the two end sub-bases C C.These of course may be mounted at varying distances apart.

The preferred construction of the sub-bases is that shown in Figs. 8, 9,and 10, they being castings with an outer shell of cross-section shownin Fig. 10, a Hat bearing face on top, and a Hat base flanged andstrengthened by IIC saecea transverse walls at the opposite ends, and byoccasional transverse partitions m m. It is an'important ad vantage ofmy invention that the sub-bases C C may be laid without any exactalignment, the only important point being to bring their top surfaces toa true level.

Another feature of my invention is the arrangement of the sub-bases toextend beneath or through the fioor, the position of the latter beingindicated best in Figs. 2 and 3, at R. The floor is laid after thesub-bases are mounted in position, and is fitted around them so thatthey project up very slightly above the fioor,holes being left in thefloor for the rockers'L L to work through. The floor thus comes up tojust below the bottom of the main base D, so that the attendant caneasily get at the machine without stumbling over the sub-bases whichnecessarily project beyond the width of the main base. The connectingbar Q extends thus beneath the fioor where it is entirelyout of the way,which is also a new feature.

It will be understood that the several subbases 0 O, 850., constituteessentially parts of one single sub-base, which might be continuous, butwhich for convenience of practical construction is divided into sectionsor transverse girders. In Fig. 11 I have shown the sub-base constructedas one undivided or integral casting 0 formed with seats or rests on itsupper side at suitable intervals for sup porting the main base D Thisconstruction is well adapted to smaller machines than that illustratedin the preceding figures. In this figure I have also shown a furthermodification consisting in the reversal of position of the adjustingscrews and nuts, the screws H being mounted in bearings in the main baseD, which base is also formed with longitudinal slots or guidewayscorresponding to the guideways N in the preceding figures. The screwsengage nuts, one of which is shown at J each of which is formed with ashank j passing down through a hole in the sub-base, and having a nut orhead g fixed on it beneath to prevent its lifting out of place. The mainbase is guided by the sides of the nut or block J engaging looselybetween the side faces of the slot or guideway, the construction beingessentially the reverse of that previously described.

My invention may be otherwise modified in unessential details withoutdepartin g from its essentially novel features. For example instead ofadjusting the main base by means of screws, other adjusting devicesknown in the mechanic arts as equivalents thereof may be substituted;also, instead of connecting the screws or adjusting devices forsimultaneous operation by means of ratchets, pawls and a connecting barQ, any other connecting device known in the art may be used. In theclaims I shall refer to' the sub-base sections 0 O, &c;, as constitutingtogether essentially a single sub-base.

I claim as my invention the following-defined novel features,substantially as hereinbefore specified, namely:

1. .The combination, with the main-base of a machine having a rotaryshaft and belt pulley, of a sub-base on which the main base rests, bothbeing finished in a horizontal plane on their meeting faces, whereby themain base may he slid or swung to oblique teract any tendency of thebelt to run 03 the pulley, and means for adjusting the main-base andholding it in any desired position.

2. The combination with the main-base of a machine having a rotary shaftand belt pulley, of a sub-base on which the main-base rests, both beingfinished in a horizontal plane on their meeting faces, whereby the mainbase may be-slid or swung to oblique positions on the sub-base, in orderto counteract any tendency of the belt to run off the pulley, andindependent adjusting devices applied to opposite ends of the main basewhereby they may be moved alike or differentlyto impart either aparallel or oblique movement to the main base.

3. The combination of main-base and subbase, finished in a horizontalplane on their meeting faces whereby the main base may be swung tooblique positions, the one formed with-a guideway extending transverselyof the main base and the other with a swiveled block entering saidguideway, andmeans for adjusting the main base longitudinally of saidguideway whereby in such adjustment the block guides the main base,while the latter may be swung around said block as a pivot.

4. The combination of main-base and subbase, finished in a horizontalplane on their meeting faces, the one formed with parallel guidewaysextending across opposite ends of the main base and the other withblocks entering said guideways, and independent adjusting devicesapplied to opposite ends of the main base, whereby when the main base ismoved at one end by one of said adjusting devices it may swing aroundthe block at its opposite end asa pivot.

5. The combination of main base and subbase, finished in a singlehorizontal plane on their meeting faces, the one formed with guidewaysextending transversely of the main base, and the other with blocksentering said guideways, said blocks having screwthreaded holes throughthem, and independently mov able adjusting screws passing through saidblocks and engaging their threads, whereby either or both ends of themain base may be adjusted on the sub-base by turning said screws.

6. The combination of main-base and subbase, finished in a singlehorizontal plane on their meeting faces, the sub-base formed with twoguideways extending transversely of the main base, and the latterprovided with swiveled blocks entering the respective guideways, saidblocks formed with screwthreaded holes through them, and independentlymovpositions on the sub-base, in order to coun-- able adjusting screwsjournaled to the subbase and having their thread ed portions passingthrough and engaging the threads of said blocks.

7. The combination of main-base and subbase, finished in a singlehorizontal plane on their meeting faces, whereby the main base maybeslid or swung to oblique positions on the sub-base, and the sub-basesubdivided into a plurality of elongated sections or girders extendingtransversely beneath the main base, and means for adjusting themain-base and holding it inany desired position.

8. The combination of main-base and subbase, finished in a singlehorizontal plane on their meeting faces, the sub-base subdivided into aplurality of elongated sections or girders extending transverselybeneath the mainbase, two of said girders formed each with alongitudinal open slot or guideway, beneath the plane of said meetingfaces, independently movable adjusting screws journaled in said girders,and blocks or nuts depending from the main-base into said guideways andengaged by said screws and fastened to the main-base.

9. The combination of main-base and subbase, with adjusting screws atopposite ends for sliding the main-base over the sub-base, double-actingratchet wheels fixed to said screws, double-acting pawls engaging them,rockers mounted to oscillate upon the axes of said screws, an operatinglever, and a connecting rod for transmitting motion from either rockerto the other.

10. The combination of main-base and subbase, with adjusting screws atopposite ends for sliding the main-base over the sub-base, ratchetwheels fixed to said screws, pawls engaging them, rockers mounted tooscillate upon the axes of said screws and having arms extendingdownwardly, a connecting rod jointed to said arms for communicatingmotion from either rocker to the other, and an operating lever, wherebysaid connecting rod is brought beneath the floor where it is out of theway.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES J. WOOD.

WVitnesses:

JOHN W. HALL, WILLARD KNIGHT.

